Device for attaching engineering instruments to their supports.



No. 891,952. PATENTED JUNE 30, 1908. R. V. R. REYNOLDS. DEVICE FOR ATTAGHING ENGINEERING INSTRUMENTS TO THEIR SUPPORTS.

APPLICATION FILED DEQ.16,1907.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT V. R. REYNOLDS, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

DEVIGEFOR ATTACHING ENGINEERING INSTRUMENTS TO THEIR- SUPPORTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 16, 1907. Serial N 0. 408,765,"

Patented June 30, 1908.

To, all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT V. R. REY- NOLDS, a citizen of the United States, residing in Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Attaching Engineering Instruments to Their Supports, of which the following is a specification.

- The primary object of my invention is to provide novel devices for attaching surveying instruments, cameras and other engineering instruments to tripods or other supports on which they are, mounted.

The Brunton pocket transit, the Abney level, the stadia andlevel, and the pocket alt-azimuth are all well-known instruments which are light and portable, but which have no fixed supports and their accuracy is soinethe instrument to be held firmly on its support in any of the positions or planes necessary in making the desired observation to which it is adapted.

In carrying out my invention in the most approved way, I provide a spindle which is Ibendable between its 0 posite ends, one-end being securel attache to the base of the instrument an said spindle extending through the head of the tripod or similar support, be-

ing provided on its lower or outer end with securing devices arranged beneath the tripod head. When the spindle is straight or not bent, the securing devices are engaged with the spindle to hold the instrument in a hori-' jzontal plane, and when the s indle is bent, the securing devices are shifte and so engage the spindle as 'to holdthe instrument in a vertical plane.

In the accompanying drawings, Fi re 1 is a view partly in vertical section an partly in side elevation of a Brunton-pocket transit attached-to a tripod by my improved attaching devices, the instrument in this instance i being held in a horizontal plane. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown'in Fig. 1 with certain parts broken away, but showing the instrument in a vertical plane. 3 is a view on a small scale with parts broken away of my improved securing devices adapted to be applied to the base of an engineering instrument, such as a Brunton compass, de-

tached from the instrument and from the tripod or su port. Fig. 4 is a erspective view of the c indrical block or late which is in terpose between the hea of the tripod or support and the instrument and it aids in connecting the support with the instrument. Fig. 5 is a view on an enlarged scale showing the interior of the instrument.

The Brunton pocket transit A is of wellknown construction, comprisin a casin a, a hinged top a, and hinged sig tsB an O. The degree circle is indicated at c, the magnetic compass needle at d, the bubble tube at e, and the vernier at-f; The Vernier is carried by a frame orarm'g pivoted at h. Any suitable devices may be em loyed for ad'usting the verm'er and with it t e bubble tu e e,

which is also supported on the frame or arm Fig. f

The bottom of the casing a is formed with a circular threaded fla e a. ada ted to engage with the threaded ange t 0 a circular plate or diskI forming artof the devices 'whichI employ for attac 'ng the instrument I have shown in the drawto its support.

ingsja support consisting of am 0d J, of well-known construction, provide with a K head or top platey' to which is secured, 'by

means of screws 7c, a" circular blockor late K. It 1s not necessary to in any way a just the block K on, the support J, but whenever desired the ,block K may be removed from the tripod'and can be readily attached to the head of any tripod of usual construction. The top plate 7' of'the support and the block K are ormed with centra circular openings which register with each other, as clear shown in Fig.1. The upper outer edge of the plate Kis beveled, as s own at k. This beveled portion extends entirely around the upper outer edge of the base, as'indicated in I Fig. 4. The upper portion of the openin Z- in the block K 1s tapered or flared outwar y,

and around this opening a groove or circular Y recess or depressionl is tprovlded.

The head of the tripod eing thus equipped is attached to the flanged late I by the novel devices next to be descri ed. I premise by saying, however, that one of the rinci-pal obj ects of the invention is to provi edevices by means of which an instrument, of the kinds above mentioned, may be held securely in a horizontal plane, or adjusted in said horizontal plane and held fir y, and which can also be turned to a vertical plane and held firmly in plac'e. Sucl1 devices possessing ,these characteristics are provided, according to my I invention, by a bendable spindle M, com

prislng an upper member m and a lower threaded at 0 'and above this threaded portion it is provided with an enlargement orhead 0 which has a beveled or conical lower portion adapted to fit'the flared up er end of the hole Z'in the plate K. \Aboye t 's head is a cylindrical portion 1) of less diameter than the head which extends into the central. opening or hole'of the flanged plate I which it neatly fits. This hole s preferably surrounded by a-boss p. upon which is referably placed a Washer 19 .The'bendab e spin- 2 i the bendable may be. made to assume a dle is firmly attached to the flanged late I by means of a screw Q which extends t ough the washer and into the upper member of spindle" in-the manner clearly indicated- By these devices just described, the upper member of the spindle may be securely fastened to the flanged plate I which is inturn attached to the instrument securely, in the manner before described, and these devices hold' the instrument correctly when thus attached.- The lower member m of the bendable spindle may be turned to one side in the manner indicated, or the two members osition at right angles to each other, as s own in Fig. 2. When the instrument is adjusted to. the proper osition it may be clamped to the sup ort y means of a clamping nut R which is a a ted to engage the threads at, the lower end 0 the lower member or the-threads 0 of the u er member.

In ig. l, the instrument may be used in reading azimuths, the clamping nut being engaged with the upper setof threads 0 and caring a ainst'the under side of'the tri od head. hen thus arranged, the tripo is securely fastened to the instrument, but by manipulating the nut the instrument may be conveniently adjusted in azimuth or any de siredamount of friction established between recess 2 the comreferred to. i In' order to shift the instrument to the position shown in Fig. 2, the clam ing j i nut R should be removed from the spin e'by first unscrewing it from the threads 0 then causing it to engagathe thread n, and finally withdrawing the nut entirely from the spindle, then the spindle should be raised out of the support J and block K and the upper nem ber' made to assume a position at right angles to the lower member, as indicated in Fig. 2. When in this position the threaded lower end of the lower member'of the spindle If will project slightly below the bottom of the tripod head. The clamping nut may then be applied in the manner indicated and this will draw the beveled head 0 against the beveled edge 76 of the block K, the outer end of the tongue oresting on the "top of the block K outside the annular grooveor recess 1. It

will be observed that the threaded portion 0? I v of the upper member m does not bear against the top of the block K but is received in the is avoided, but the portion of the member m between its head and the threads 0 may bear upon the top of the block. When in the position shown in Fig. 2, the nut may be loosened slightly and the instrument turned about the vertical axis of the s indie, to any desired position, the head .0 gliding'on the beveled edge 7c, but when thus, adjusted ,to the desired extentthe nut R maybetightened and then the upper member of the spindle will be drawn firmly into place, in theman'- ner abovespecified'. v v The fianged plate I is a device Which enables me to conveniently adapt my securing devices to a Brunton pocket transit, but there are, ofcourse, other devices by means of which the bendable spindle may be applied to surveying, engineering or other instruments.

When a Brunton instrument is attached to a tripod by my improved devices it can be' leveled in either oftwo positions by moving the tripod legs on the'ground ofr by telesco 'ing them. To do this the vernier should e set at zero when the compass is in the vertical or side osition, and, in either case, at least two a justments should be made, the compass being turned each time to a position at right angles (inthe plane of the horizon)to that occupied by the bubble tube in the previous adjustment.

I claim as my invention 1. Devices for attaching an engineering instrument to its support, comprising a bendand thus injury to the screw threads able spindle adapted to be firmly attached to the instrument, and means for rigidly securing the s indle to the support of the instrument bot h when in its bent and when in its unbent condition.

2. Devices for attaching an engineering instrument toits support, comprising a spindle made in two parts hin ed together, one of which parts is provide with means for firml securing it to the instrument and whic two-part spindle is provided with means adapted to engage it either above or below the hinge to clam it to the support.

3. Devices for attach dle made in two parts, one of which is pro- .Vided with means for firmly attaching it to the instrument and has a pivotal interlocking connection with the other part, and means ada ted to engage the spindle either aboveor elow its pivotal connection to clamp it to the support.

4. The combination with the base of an instrument, of a two-part bendable s indle, means'for firmly attaching one mem er of the spindle to the instrument, and 'means carried by the spindle for rigidly holding the instrument on its support both in a horlzontal and in a vertical position.

ing an engineering mstrument to its support, comprlsmg a sp1n- 5. The combination with the head of the support, of a block attached thereto having a central opening and a groove around this 0 enin a bendable spindle extending t roug the central opening of the block made in two parts hinged together and rovided with screw-threads above and be 0w the bin e, the upper of said screw-threads being a apted at-times to enter the roove surrounding the central 0 enin of the lock, and means for clamping t e s mdle with the upper part in either avertica or ahorizontal position.

6. The combination of a plate adapted to be connected with-the instrument, a bendable spindle attached to the plate, and clamping devices adapted to connect with the spindle either above or below its line of bendin 7. The combination of a block provi ed with a beveled outer ed e and with a flared central 0 ening, of a hen able spindle having a large beveled head ada ted to engage either the beveled edge of t e block orthe flared central openin therein, and devices.

for clamping the s in le to a su ort.

.ROBEl T V. R. RE NOLDS. Witnesses:

R. E. BENEDICT, E. H. CLARKE. 

